John Gilbert, Baron Gilbert

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John William Gilbert, Baron Gilbert PC (born April 5, 1927) is a British Labour politician.

Gilbert was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, St John's College, Oxford, and New York University.

He contested the Parliamentary seat of Ludlow in 1966 and a byelection in Dudley in 1968 before being elected for Dudley in 1970 and Dudley East in 1974 which he represented until 1997.

In the Labour governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan he was Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1974-1975), Minister for Transport (1975-1976), and Minister of State for Defence (1976-1979). As Minister for Transport he introduced the Bill to make the wearing of seat belts compulsory.

After his retirement from the House of Commons, he was created a Life peer as Baron Gilbert, of Dudley in the County of West Midlands and was Minister for Defence Procurement in Tony Blair's first government.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Donald Williams	Member of Parliament for Dudley 1970–February 1974	Succeeded by (constituency abolished)
Preceded by (new constituency)	Member of Parliament for Dudley East February 1974–1997	Succeeded by (constituency abolished)
Political offices
Preceded by Terence Higgins	Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1974–1975	Succeeded by Robert Sheldon